Snap-in easel binder



Nov. 10, 1964 E. 1.. WALKER, JR 3,156,389!

SNAP-IN EASEL BINDER Filed July 26, 1965 INVENTOR. ELBERT Z. WALKER, JR.

United States Patent 3,156,389 SNAP-IN EASEL BINDER Elbert L. Walker, Jr., 4456 Clarissa Ave., Los Angeles 27, Calif. Filed July 26, 1963, Ser. No. 297,917 7 Claims. (Cl. 22446) This relates to a snap-in easel binder and has for an object to provide a device for attachment to and combined with a loose-leaf ring binder that has the manifold purpose of providing means for conveniently carrying the binder and its sheaf of sheets, constituting a support easel whereby said sheets are disposed in convenient display position, and constituting means for manually supporting the binder in open condition when discussing or lecturing on the material on the sheets of said sheaf and displaying the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device as above characterized that is convertible, with easy facility, to carry out any of the purposes above enumerated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment that is connectable to a loose-leaf ring binder by means of the rings of said binder.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a loose-leaf binder provided with a snap-in attachment according to the present invention and shown in binder-carrying position.

FIG. 2 to a smaller scale, is an end elevational view showing the attachment disposed as an easel to hold the binder in position to display the sheets of the sheaf thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing said snap-in easel binder in position for manually supporting or hold ing the same.

The present device is shown as combining a generally conventional loose-leaf binder 5, and a snap-in attachment 6 as hereinabove indicated.

The binder 5, in the usual manner, comprises a pair of hard covers '7, connected by a back 8 which is provided with a set of loose-leaf rings 9 for removably holding a sheaf of sheets 10. Such a binder, especially if the sheaf 10 is quite thick, may be quite heavy and difiicult to carry by one hand engaged around the back 8 for long periods of time.

The present attachment 6 is here shown as similar, opposite arranged sections 11. Each section 11 comprises a panel 12 between the binder covers and having snap-in connection with the binder rings 9 and extending to a width that is preferably about one-half the width of the covers 7 but may be somewhat narrower or wider, as desired. At the free end of each of said panels 12, a loop 13 is provided, the same having free sliding engagement with the respective covers 7 of the binder and a panel 14 is connected to each said loop and is disposed on the outer side of the related binder cover 7. The connections of the loops and panels 14 are pivotal connections,

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whereby said panels may be swung from positions extending along the outer ends of the covers 7 to positions folded partly or entirely backwardly toward the binder back 8. Each said section 11 further comprises a panel extension 15 that is connected by a hinge 16 to the respective panel 14, a flap 17 that is connected by a hinge 18 to the respective panel extensions 15, and snap-fastener means 19, to separably connect said flaps 17 either in the position of the parts, as in FIG. 1, or in the inverted position of the panel extensions 15 and flaps 17, as in FIGS. 2 and 3.

As may be seen in FIG. 3 the panels 14 have an isoceles trapezoidal form with the edges thereof at the hinges 16 narrower than the edges at the loop 13. Hence, the panel extensions 15 and flaps 17 are narrower than the I panels 12. As shown, also, in FIG. 3, the extensions are provided with hand openings 20, it being clear that the overlapped flaps 17 may be grasped by a hand with the fingers extending through said openings 20 to hold the binder in suspended and closed position, as in FIG. 1, or in open sheaf-exposing position, as in FIG. 3.

As may be seen from the three positions of the attachment 6, the same may serve as a carrying device, as a support easel holding one cover 7 at an angle to the other for displaying the sheaf sheet-s while the binder is disposed on a support surface 21, or as a hand-borne carrier that holds the binder open for viewing the several sheets of the sheaf 10.

As will be clear, the connection between the binder and the attachment is effected by engagement of the panels 12 and the loose-leaf rings 9. Hence, the attachment is removable from the binder for use with another binder.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A snap-in easel binder comprising:

(a) a loose-leaf binder having stiff covers connected by a back and provided with a set of loose-leaf rings to hold a sheaf of sheets, and

(b) a combined carrier and easel attachment provided with panels disposed between the covers and having separable connection with said rings, with separably connected panel extensions disposed on the outsides of said binder cover, and with loops connecting the panels on the same side of the binder and slidingly engaged with the covers of the binder.

2. The snap-in easel binder according to claim 1 in which the mentioned panel portions are hingedly con nected to the respective loops for swingable movement on their respective loops between positions extending forwardly toward and beyond the edges of the binder covers and positions extending at least partly in a reverse direction.

3. The snap-in easel binder according to claim 1 in which the mentioned panel portions are hingedly connected to the respective loops for swingable movement on their respective loops between positions extending forwardly toward and beyond the edges of the binder covers and positions extending at least partly in a reverse direction, foldable flaps with separably snap fasteners being provided on the panel portions for the mentioned separable engagement.

4. A snap-in easel binder comprising:

(a) a loose-leaf binder having stiff covers connected by a back and provided with a set of loose-leaf rings to hold a sheaf of sheets, and

(b) a combined carrier and easel attachment formed of similar sections,

(c) each said section comprising a panel in separable engagement with the rings of the binder,

(d) a loop at the end of said panel and in sliding engagement with one cover of binder, and

(e) a panel extension hingedly connected to said loop and disposed on the outside of said cover and swingable on said loop between position extending in opposite directions from said loop,

( f) and separably connectable portions on the ends of said panel extensions to connect the same in both swung positions of the panel extensions.

5. A snap-in easel binder according to claim 4 in which the latter portions are formed with hand-hold openings for grasping of the conectable portions.

6. A snap-in easel binder comprising:

(a) a loose-leaf binder having stiff covers connected by a back and provided with a set of loose-leaf rings to hold a sheaf of sheets, and

([2) a combined carrier and easel attachment formed of similar sections,

(0) each said section comprising a panel in separable engagement with the rings of the binder,

(d) a loop at the end of said panel and in sliding engagement with one cover of binder, and

(e) a panel extension hingedly connected to said loop and disposed on the outside of said cover and swingable on said loop between positions extending in opposite directions from said loop,

(f) and separably connectable portions on the ends of said panel extensions to connect the same forward of and across the end edges of the binder when closed, and across the back of the binder both when the same is open and closed.

7. A snap-in easel binder according to claim 6 in which the latter portions are formed with hand-hold openings for grasping of the connectable portions.

N 0 references cited. 

1. A SNAP-IN EASEL BINDER COMPRISING: (A) A LOOSE-LEAF BINDER HAVING STIFF COVERS CONNECTED BY A BACK AND PROVIDED WITH A SET OF LOOSE-LEAF RINGS TO HOLD A SHEAF OF SHEETS, AND (B) A COMBINED CARRIER AND EASEL ATTACHMENT PROVIDED WITH PANELS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE COVERS AND HAVING SEPARABLE CONNECTION WITH SAID RINGS, WITH SEPARABLY CONNECTED PANEL EXTENSIONS DISPOSED ON THE OUTSIDES OF SAID BIINDER COVER, AND WITH LOOPS CONNECTING THE PANELS ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE BINDER AND SLIDINGLY ENGAGED WITH THE COVERS OF THE BINDER. 